


Rivals

by B_Rated



Category: Naruto
Genre: Crack, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Crack, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2019-02-02 12:36:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12726723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B_Rated/pseuds/B_Rated
Summary: Gai wants to prove how hip and cool he is and what better way than to win the heart of an innocent chunin that just happens to walk by at the wrong time. Or perfectly right time if you're Hatake Kakashi.





	Rivals

"You're so hip and cool, rival!" Gai shouted happily. 

Kakashi wasn't listening, his Icha Icha in front of his face. "Yah, yah."

"So you think so too, eh? Alright then, I'll challenge you to a duel of social wits that only the truly hip and cool can pull off!"

"Hm?" Kakashi hummed as if he were listening.

Gai only needed the next breath to think about this new challenge of his. "It will be a challenge so youthful in spirit! For the heart of a kunoichi is the best way to measure which one of us is the cool aloof one!" He smiled wide with a laugh.

Kakashi dropped his book. "Wait what?"

"That's right, rival, you probably think you can have your pick from Konoha's great goddesses well today I'll prove you wrong!"

"Gai, you can't mean you want us to try and-"

"Her heart will choose me, eternal rival, proving that I am cooler than you!"

"Who?" Kakashi took another tactic to put an end to this. He had no doubt he'd win such a thing but it really was a waste of time and effort on his part. Not to mention what a terrible way to start a relationship.

"Why the most beautiful girl in the village of course!"

"That sounds subjective," he sat back on the bench besides the road. "Hardly fair if the girl I think is the prettiest is not the same as the one you do."

Gai hummed loudly in thought. "Alright then! To be fair fate shall decide! Whomever walks past us next!"

Just as the words left his mouth before Kakashi could try and navigate his way around it, he saw an opportunity in the next body that walked towards their spot. "Deal."

Gai's hind had just finished hitting the bench, prepared to wait for the next kunoichi to pass when Kakashi hopped up, closing his book. "Yo, Iruka-sensei, right?"

The man a few steps up the street stopped and turned towards him. "Oh, hello, Kakashi-san."

"I see your wounds have healed from that whole incident in the Back Woods," Kakashi attempted some small talk as they kept walking.

"Yes. Thank you again for your help. I'm sorry you had to get involved," Iruka said quietly, rubbing his neck.

"Mah, sensei, you're safety is all I was concerned about."

Iruka smiled at him, his cheeks flushing pink. "Uh, thank you, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi looked back to see Gai had finally caught on, running towards them. "Kakashi, eternal rival! Won't you introduce me to this new friend of yours?"

"Oh, I wouldn't call us friends, Gai-sensei," Iruka laughed a little.

Gai blinked, squinted his eyes. "Have we met before...? But surely we must have! Of course I would remember meeting someone as special as yourself!"

Kakashi rolled his head to the side. Gai was going to blow this for the both of them. Neither one would win and Kakashi wasn't about to settle for a draw. Not over something as easy as this.

Thankfully Iruka seemed to be in a good mood today, or maybe he was always this smiley. "Not officially, Gai-sensei. I sometimes work in the mission's room. You can call me Iruka-sensei if you like."

"Well, well, Iruka-sensei, where were you headed this lovely evening?"

Iruka seemed more confused than anything. Two jonin stopping him just to chat wasn't a usual occurrence. Kakashi noticed. Gai really was going to ruin it if Kakashi didn't do something. But he wasn't about to help Gai at all. No, he was only going to help himself. Just as Iruka started to answer he threw up a hand. "I should be going. It was nice seeing you, Iruka-sensei."

The chunin's head turned to watch him leave, still perplexed. "Um, yeah..."

Kakashi walked away, sliding his hands into his pockets, coming up with a plan for tomorrow.

 

He knew Iruka wouldn't be used to so much attention all at once. It would be much too suspicious if both he and Gai were to start making advances. So he stood in the mission’s room listening to Gai’s absurd techniques for flirting.

Gai’s tactless nature might actually work well for Kakashi in this scenario.

Iruka shook his head with a polite smile. “Gai-sensei, that’s- thank you… Um, could you step aside though? I- I have work to do.”

“Ah, yes! Of course,” Gai bowed his head and grinned. “There will be plenty of time for us later.”

“R-right,” Iruka halfheartedly agreed. “I’ll see you for ramen… later.”

Iruka really was too gentle of a soul to turn any romantic offer away. Kakashi gathered that Iruka probably thought Gai’s attempts were genuine. That the man must really like him, so he was willing to give him a chance. Kakashi had no doubt that if Gai were to start being himself he’d really have a chance of winning this. 

But that wouldn't be likely to happen.

Kakashi calmly waited in line after the rival jonin had left, pretending as if nothing was unusual in his day. The desk worker at the end of the table was free before Iruka was so he nodded and walked down to give them his report.

He made sure to look over at the chunin the entire time. Hoping someone would notice, if not Iruka himself, before wandering back out of the room.

This might be harder than he first thought it would be.

The next day he waited, with his book, near the academy. Iruka would leave the school and head to the Tower. Kakashi knew he would, he had learned his schedule thanks to some easily broken seals to a room where the jonin supervisors in regular forces kept their rotation schedules.

He didn’t need Iruka to talk to him. He just needed him to see him. That was it, all he wanted to accomplish today.

Iruka apparently was more outgoing than Kakashi realized.

“Kakashi-san?” Iruka asked walking closer to the bench.

Kakashi dropped the book and looked up, “hm? Oh, Iruka-sensei. What brings you here?”

“I'm just on my way to work,” Iruka answered simply. “This isn’t one of your usual reading places.”

Kakashi sat back, folding his arm over the bench. “Yeah I suppose. It’s good for a change of scenery every once in awhile. Don’t you think so, sensei?”

Iruka smiled, “yeah I guess so.”

Kakashi lowered his eye from where he had been staring up at the clouds. “Hm, something wrong, sensei?”

Iruka shook his head. “N-no. Sorry to bother you, again, Kakashi-san.”

“Mah, no bother,” Kakashi brushed off, lifting his book again. “Just this time let me know if Naruto’s going to do something reckless and you need help.”

Iruka scratched the back of his neck. “It’s not Naruto, don’t worry,” he laughed lightly but shook his head. “I should be going. Good day, Kakashi-san.”

“Yah,” Kakashi nodded, letting Icha Icha drift out of the way to watch the teacher leave.

He needed another mission report, as soon as possible.

“I didn't know you were taking D-ranked missions, Kakashi-san,” Iruka said looking at the report in his hands.

“Yah well I went a little overboard in shopping last week…” he laughed sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. “Had a craving for some homemade food and well… now I'm short on cash.”

Iruka smiled up at him. “Can you cook, Kakashi-san?”

“Eh, a few things but it’s been awhile,” he answered with as much humility as he could. 

Iruka was about to say something when there was a shout as Gai came bursting into the room. He threw himself onto his knees in front of the mission’s desk with a winded huff. “Iruka-sensei, oh, Iruka-sensei! I’ve come all the way from my exhausting mission without ever stopping, knowing I could not go without seeing your face again!”

Iruka jumped from his chair. “Gai-sensei! Are you alright?!”

“They’re but mere scratches in comparison to how deep my love for you burns!”

Iruka’s jaw dropped and so did the jonin. “Kakashi! We have to get him to the hospital!”

“Right,” Kakashi agreed and bent down to pull one of Gai’s arms over his shoulder while Iruka leapt over the table to take the other. 

The two shared his weight as they carried him. “I'm sorry I wasn’t able to process your report, Kakashi-san…” Iruka said quietly.

“Mah, it was just a D-ranked mission,” Kakashi dismissed. He was more worried about how Gai could have been so stupid to put their little challenge above his own well-being.

“Still… maybe I can help you out somehow?”

“I can’t take your money, sensei,” Kakashi insisted. Iruka really didn’t deserve these two fools in his life. 

Iruka dropped his eyes and looked down as they carried Gai to the hospital.

Kakashi decided over the next few days to bow out of the challenge, not that he told Gai that. He figured this whole mess would work itself out. If Iruka wound up falling for the oaf then Gai would do right by him.

They would be good together.

“Kakashi-san.” Surprised, Kakashi lifted his head from his book and looked down from his usual reading spot.

He held up his hand. “Hey, hey, Iruka-sensei.” Kakashi dropped down from the tree. “What’s up, sensei?”

Iruka smiled as warmly as he always did. “I was um wondering if-” he started blushing, rolling his head to the side to look up at the clouds. “I heard you just got back from a mission so I was wondering if I could treat you to ramen? Seeing as I completely botched your last report.”

Kakashi slid his book into his weapon’s pouch. “Still worried about that, huh, sensei?”

“Yeah… I know you said it’s not a big deal but-”

“Well, if it’s what you need to feel better,” Kakashi sighed and shrugged dramatically, “guess I’ll do anything to help a friend.”

Iruka laughed and the two started walking. “Just helping a friend, little to do with a free meal.”

“Hey, I'll pay my share if you want me too, sensei,” Kakashi said sarcastically. “Anything you say.”

“Anything, huh?”

Kakashi nearly tripped. What was that tone? 

Iruka chuckled and shook his head. “Come on, I’d feel even worse if I kept you from your precious book for too long.”

“My books are precious, sensei,” Kakashi corrected. “Have you ever read any of Jiraiya-sama’s writing?”

Iruka waved his hand. “Not my kind of literature, honesty, even if it weren’t so…”

“What?”

“Well,” Iruka touched the corner of his scar. “Predictable. I'm sorry, Kakashi-san. The plot is just too straightforward for my liking.”

“So you like suspense stories,” Kakashi offered as they neared the noodle shop.

“I guess, with a lot less melodrama.”

“Sensei, you wound me.”

Iruka chuckled as he ducked under the banner. 

If this what Iruka was like on his actual dates with Gai so far then maybe Konoha’s self proclaimed Blue Beast already had this challenge won. 

Not that Kakashi was concerning himself with the challenge anymore. He was just enjoying Iruka’s company. Apparently the sensei was quite the conversationalist over a bowl of ramen.

“Do you prefer to read in trees?” Iruka asked, leaning on his hand as Teuchi took the empty bowls away. 

Kakashi shrugged. “I like places where people aren’t likely to bother me.”

Iruka’s face fell. “Oh.” He seemed to shake it off, sitting back and reaching for a coin pouch to pay for their meals. “I'm sorry then. For bothering you so often.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Mah, sensei, I don’t consider you a bother.”

Iruka blushed and scratched under the knot of his hitai-ate. “I'm glad to hear that, Kakashi-san.” He left the coin on the counter and they each said their thanks before they left the small shop.

Kakashi breathed in the cool air as he put his hands in his pockets. The sun would be setting soon. So much for going back to his tree.

“I don’t really like to sit in trees,” Iruka shared suddenly, pulling Kakashi’s attention back to him.

“Hm? So where do you like read, sensei?” Kakashi asked, making conversation. Iruka wasn’t uninteresting.

“At home mostly,” Iruka laughed and shook his head. “But I used to have a favorite place to eat lunch.”

Kakashi rose his hand, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “Not here?”

The chunin laughed harder. It really was a nice sound. “No. Before I had the money for ramen.”

Kakashi nodded. “Ah. Well, I don’t usually spend a lot of time getting to know the village.” He motioned for Iruka to lead the way. “You probably know the back streets better than I do.”

“Are you conceding to my knowledge of the village surpasses yours?” Iruka asked playfully.

“Vastly,” Kakashi answered. “You probably know every shinobi stationed within the walls.”

“Not every one,” Iruka argued humorously.

“A great many more than I do,” Kakashi settled.

Iruka smiled and looked ahead as they walked. Kakashi watched the side of his face wondering how he could be so happy all the time.

Konoha was a fairly large village with some more parts of the city crowded together like there were a few buildings too many. These were mostly where the shinobi apartments were. They didn’t need much room and really should be spending more time on duty than at home. When Iruka walked headlong down the narrowing streets, Kakashi started to wonder if Iruka was leading them back to his place. 

Iruka walked up broken stone steps and through an alley that lead to a dead end. “They put a fence up,” he said sadly.

“Haven’t been to your favorite spot in a while, eh sensei?” Kakashi asked, stopping behind him.

“Not for a few years…” he looked up at the wooden planks, wishing they weren’t there.

Kakashi side stepped past him and jumped up to perch on the boards. He looked back, smiling, “Come on, now I need to see this place.”

Iruka smiled and hopped up and over the fence to land with Kakashi. 

The building, as it turned out, was built on a cliff side, Kakashi hadn’t realized how high the street had been climbing. 

Iruka walked out on the small ledge between the building and the fall and sat down about half way. Kakashi joined him. 

There was a park below their feet, treetops and children's voices, and beyond that was the river. It wasn’t a bad view at sunset.

“I used to live in one of those buildings. After I lost my parents...” Iruka shared sadly. “I’d come out here to sit… a lot.”

Kakashi looked over at him him and then back out at the view. “I might have to reevaluate my favorite places.”

Iruka smiled weakly but it didn't last long. Then he sighed. “Kakashi-san?”

“Hm?” Kakashi turned his head again.

“Gai-sensei…”

“He’s alright,” Kakashi shared, his eye dropping down to the edge of the cliff. “Just a bit… melodramatic.”

Iruka let his eyes drop back down, almost as if that wasn’t the answer he had wanted. The silence stretched on as the sun sank lower on the horizon. Kakashi felt like he should say something else but he didn’t know what.

“I should get going,” Iruka said suddenly, using chakra and the wall behind him to stand. 

Kakashi did the same and lead them back to where they had jumped the fence. 

“Thank you for- …” Iruka stopped because Kakashi hadn’t done anything. “Keeping me company I guess.”

Kakashi shrugged. “Like I said, no bother.”

Iruka smiled, shook his head, and walked off down the road. Kakashi put his hands in his pockets, watching the mysterious chunin walk away before heading home himself. Maybe there was hope for him yet in this challenge. He’d start working to gain the teacher’s favor next time he saw him.

“You won again, rival!” Gai proclaimed loudly, making Kakashi lower his book from his face.

They weren’t the only ones in the jonin lounge but no one else seemed to care, used to their nonsense. “I did?”

Gai crossed his arms. “You really are the cool aloof one! I never stood a chance did I?” He laughed at himself and sat besides his rival. “The next challenge for sure I will beat you!”

Kakashi was still confused. He hadn't seen Iruka in days, what was Gai talking about? “Wait, how are you sure I won?”

“You’re so cool you don’t even know how you won,” Gai was practicality near tears right then.

Kakashi closed his book and stood up from the lounge sofa. “Mah, I guess.” He walked boredly out of the room. 

Iruka must have told Gai he wasn’t interested. That was the only explanation, but that didn’t mean he had won, it just meant Gai had lost.

Maybe that was all the jonin needed. Gai had held himself to similar rules during other challenges. Regardless, it meant this whole thing was over. 

Kakashi felt a little cheated though. He had never gotten to actually flirt with the chunin teacher.

He dismissed it and wandered out of the Tower. There was no longer any reason to wait for Iruka to start and then end his shift at the mission's desk where they would run into each other as they both left, ‘coincidentally’. 

Only now he wound up passing the man right outside the Tower gate. “Oh, um hello, Kakashi-san,” he seemed more flustered than usual.

Kakashi waved calmly. “Iruka-sensei.”

“I'm glad I ran into you… I uh spoke with Gai-sensei earlier today.”

Kakashi pretended not to know what he was talking abou. “Hm? About what?”

“I just-” he reached for the back of his head. It was such an obvious tell. Really sort of cute. Iruka looked at the building in front of him and then back again. “Can we meet later?”

“Ah well, sensei, I'm sort of busy. Not sure I'll be around later,” Kakashi answered evenly.

“Oh,” a disheartened look flashed across the chunin’s face. 

Kakashi smiled and tilted his head, wanting to take it back. “Only kidding. The Hokage’s told me I won't be going on another mission until I have a team.”

Iruka smiled then. “Then we’ll get ramen after my shift?”

Kakashi nodded. “Yeah, I'll meet you there.” He stood by the gate a little longer as Iruka walked towards the building.

“You don’t like ramen,” a voice added, pulling Kakashi’s attention towards them. Asuma returned the cigarette to his lips and walked closer from where he had been standing against the fence.

“You know, it’s not polite to eavesdrop on people's conversations,” Kakashi replied easily.

“Then don’t make dates in public.”

Kakashi was quiet, he didn't have anything to say back. Denying it to someone trying to tease him would only make matters worse.

He chuckled and shook his head walking past him towards the Tower.

Kakashi turned down the road, his book reemerging to read as he walked. He had a few hours to kill. It was a nice day to relax in a tree somewhere.

He knew he was late, walking towards the ramen stand. He shouldn't have taken that nap, but he didn't think Iruka would be the type to care.

Iruka looked a little surprised to see him. “I didn’t think you’d show up.”

“Just running a little late. Wandering the road of life,” Kakashi excused and sat down on the stool besides him.

“You must end up on some silly adventures, aimlessly walking around the village.”

“Sometimes the best adventures find me. One time I was in my favorite reading spot and a depressed teacher needed someone to talk to.”

Iruka smiled and dropped his eyes, letting Kakashi order his own bowl of ramen. 

“I um, wanted to tell you… about what happened with Gai-sensei,” Iruka shared, still staring at his soup.

“It’s none of my business, sensei,” Kakashi corrected. He really didn't need to know. Whatever was said between them ended the challenge and that should have been all he cared about.

“I know,” Iruka said quietly. “But still… I told him that I couldn't return his feelings because-”

Kakashi readied himself to gently let the teacher down. He couldn't be the kind of person Iruka would actually like. If he knew him, really. Iruka would think he was same filth Obito once saw him as. 

“What’s going on here?” Another body ducked under the banner. “Getting ramen without me?” They fanned some sort of insult and sat down besides Iruka. “I’m hurt, Iruka.”

Iruka laughed at his white-haired companion. “I'm sorry, Mizuki. I have been neglectful to you lately haven’t I?”

“I suppose you’ll just have to make it up to me. I'll let you buy my ramen for me,” he shrugged and patted Iruka’s shoulder before shouting his order.

Iruka smiled at him and then looked over at Kakashi again. 

Kakashi nodded. “I'll let you two be. Goodnight, Iruka.” He paid for the noodles he had eaten during the commotion and walked out into the evening. 

Iruka had told Gai there was someone else. Gai thought he had meant Kakashi. 

He shook his head. Of course it wasn’t.

Iruka not having feelings for him was a good thing. Kakashi tried to convince himself. It meant he wouldn't have to tell him how undeserving he was of them. He wouldn't have to listen to Iruka saying how he was wrong. 

Iruka wasn't the kind of person who would let someone else tell him how to feel. Kakashi liked that about him.

No matter how gentle-hearted the chunin was, he wasn't a pushover. Iruka had defended Naruto in the Back Hills, ready to give his life for the Nine-tails jinchuuriki that others would have left for dead.

Iruka wasn’t like the others in the village. He was special.

Kakashi sighed at himself, walking into his apartment. Of course someone else noticed that before he had a chance to.

He was surprised the next morning by a knock on his door. Kakashi had barely just woken up. His headband still on his dresser and vest by the door. It was the start of his weekend where he intended to read and train in the afternoon. 

“Iruka-sensei?” He was clearly confused as to not only why the chunin teacher was there but also how he had found his apartment in the first place.

“I'm sorry to bother you at home, Kakashi-san,” Iruka said shyly, with that adorable rub of his neck, hinting at just how he found it.

Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned in the doorframe, nearly sure of the answer. “How do you know where my home is, sensei?”

“Well, I- um… I may have used my clearances to look in your file. But nothing above my rank. It was sealed anyway…”

Kakashi nodded and stepped aside to let him in. “Excuse any mess. I wasn’t expecting company today.”

Iruka was turning redder, apologizing again even though Kakashi’s tone had implied he was wasn’t really that upset about it. “I just wanted to talk to you. I won’t stay long.”

“Alright, sensei. We can get straight to the point then.” They were still close to the door, Iruka hadn’t even moved to take his shoes off. 

“I- Alright. I guess I like you," he said in a rush like he was trying not to breathe.

“But?” Kakashi asked expectantly.

Iruka looked up at him, blush fading, confused. “‘But?’ That’s it.”

Kakashi blinked, staring like he had a puzzle in front of him. “I feel like that can’t be it.”

“Well it’s sort of a big deal,” Iruka crossed his arms challengingly. “I thought-” He let them drop again with a frustrated groan. “Forget it.”

“For how long?” Kakashi asked instead, replaying events in his head. 

“I don't know! Does it matter? Since- Ugh- Since I was wounded on that mission and you sat with me. Since I learned your name from a teammate… Since you keep coming to my rescue like- almost like you’re trying to protect me.”

“Iruka, I-”

He waved his hand and turned towards the door. “It obvious I'm the only one feels this way so I'll just-”

Kakashi reached out, grabbing the chunin’s arm and spinning him back around. They watched each other as if waiting for the other to say something for a long second. Kakashi realized he was still holding him and let go. “I thought you were seeing someone else.”

Iruka shook his head. “Gai was- he- I kept trying to tell him but- what was I supposed to say? And it was unfair to him that I spent time with you- I shouldn’t have done that…”

Kakashi shook his head. He knew about what had happened with Gai. “Mizuki.”

Iruka laughed loudly. “He’s just a friend! He’s engaged to someone else. He’s not-” he shook his head and waved his arms, “at all interested in me.” Iruka’s laughter stopped, smiling warmly at Kakashi. “Why would you think that?”

“Well, you told Gai something- and I thought-” he couldn't tell him about the challenge, that Gai had all but said Iruka had someone else. He scratched the back of his head. “It just made sense to me that someone had already found you.”

“And it couldn’t have been you?”

Kakashi fell back, leaning against the wall. “It shouldn't be me.”

“Kakashi, I- whatever it is… I’m not worried.”

Kakashi felt himself smile weakly but not for long. “I tried to trick you.”

“What?”

“Gai and I… we weren’t honest with you.” Sometimes the truth was convenient that way. “We had a challenge going to see which one of us you’d fall for first. You see, Iruka, I'm not a good person.”

“Oh.” Iruka let his eyes drift down to the floor. His head snapped back up in the next second. “Wait a minute you barely talked to me!”

Kakashi was just as surprised, he hadn’t expected Iruka to think much about it. It had been a terrible thing to do. Anyone who agreed to such a challenge shouldn’t actually be with the person. 

“You might have been more available but you never tried to flirt with me. Not like Gai did. If it was a challenge you were doing a really bad job at it.” He laughed a little and shook his head.

“And yet, somehow I won,” Kakashi stepped away from the wall. “You must be pretty easy, sensei.”

Iruka was still smiling as Kakashi moved closer. “Is that wishful thinking?”

Kakashi had never gotten the chance to flirt with him. He still very much wanted to. “Observation,” he said plainly.

“I'm not easy,” Iruka gently pushed at the man’s chest to keep him from getting closer. “You are though.”

Kakashi flinched and rose his visible brow at the accusation. “Me?”

“A little dense,” Iruka went on. “But I can work with it.”

Kakashi moved back, crossing his arms. “Me? Dense?” No one but Obitio had ever called him an idiot.

“How many times did I ask you to dinner? How many times did I keep you talking even when I had no real reason to. You were so agreeable.”

“It was the challenge.”

“Well the challenge is over, and I'm in your home, and you don’t seem like you’re about to kick me out,” he said matter-of-factly.

Kakashi was quiet because in being honest with himself, thinking about kissing Iruka had crossed his mind twice in the last few minutes. 

“You can do better than me,” Kakashi argued again, he knew what kind of person he was, all the ghosts he had let down.

“Probably,” Iruka agreed with a sarcastic tone. “But until I find him I think I'll keep liking you, Kakashi.”

Kakashi let himself smile. He sort of liked that. He could live with that. “I like you too, Iruka.”

The chunin looked down again, blushing hard. “Well, good. You finally admitted it. I guess we, um- should-”

“Tomorrow,” Kakashi said for him, walking him back to the door. “Dinner tomorrow? Not ramen.”

“Oh,” Iruka smiled, stepping back into the hall. “I’d like that.”

Kakashi nodded. “I’ll meet you at your place then. We can walk together.”

“Do you know where I live, Kakashi-san?” Iruka asked almost able to guess the answer.

“I think I came across the information somewhere.”

Iruka grinned and laughed, nodding his head. “See you tomorrow then.”

Kakashi waved and stepped back into his apartment, wondering what Gai would say if he ever found out that he had won before the challenge even started.

FIN


End file.
